


Small talk

by Ripley2win



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Family, Gen, enduring friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-27
Updated: 2010-11-27
Packaged: 2017-10-13 10:07:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/136075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ripley2win/pseuds/Ripley2win
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Cas, before all the apocalypse crap, what was an ordinary day in Heaven like for you?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small talk

Small talk

Dean woke with a such deep startle that only the arms of the recliner kept him from falling onto the floor. His chest muscles radiated a dull ache. He looked around for Cas. Near him, as usual, where he should be.

“Is Sam back yet?” Even to himself, Dean thought his voice was raspy.

“Sam is . . . has gone for supplies. He'll be back soon. I promise.”

Castiel gave Dean a quiet smile that reminded him of swirly ice cream, full familiar flavors and unknown and unknowable tastes. After all the time he'd known Cas, Dean felt he should be able to catalog Castiel's rare smiles and what caused them. But this time he couldn't.

 _How long have I known Cas?_

 _Since Hell._

 _How long ago was that?_

 _I don't know._

The question of how long he'd known Castiel slipped away as casually as taking another breath. Dean looked around the room. It seemed darker than it should be. He guessed that the room had at one time belonged to an old man. The living room furniture was old and scratched leather that held multi colored crocheted afghans. A walker and a cane stood near the recliner Dean was in. A very large standing oxygen tank stood in the corner.

“Looks like a giant beer keg, doesn't it Cas?”

Castiel tilted his head in the direction of the tank to get a better view of the tank.

“Yes, it does, Dean.”

“Where's Dad, Cas?”

“John and Sam will be back soon. I promise.”

Dean got up to go to the bathroom and when he was finished he stood unsteadily in front of the sink to wash his hands. He glanced up. The mirror showed a stooped old man. A half choked scream escaped his throat.

Instantly, Castiel was beside Dean, concern showing plainly on his eternally young face.

“Cas, what did I tell you last week about personal space?”

“Last week?” Castiel took several spaces back.

Dean had already forgotten the reason he had become upset when he looked in the mirror. He returned to the living room and paced impatiently.

“Can I ask you something? Before all this apocalypse crap, what was an ordinary day in Heaven like for you, Cas?”

“Most of the time, I was a warrior. When those skills weren't needed, I was . . . the closest human skills would be a combination of musician and botanist. I find it relaxing and yet exciting to create plants. So many different conditions across the universe. For example. the best way to create a plant to exist on methane atmospheric winds of 1000 miles an hour was to . . . harmonize it into being. ”

“You created things with music?” Dean could not remember any other time Cas had so deeply surprised him.

“Yes.”

Castiel touched Dean's forehead and implanted a picture of a “plant” that looked to Dean like a pale yellow-green Greek flexible marble statue.

“Why didn't you ever tell me all these things, Cas?”

“You never asked.”

“What's happening to me, Cas?”

“Plague deposits in your heart and brain are causing a series of small strokes, Dean. Some of these mini-strokes are insignificant physiologically but the damage adds up. Cheeseburgers, Dean.”

“All those cheeseburgers came back to bite me in the ass?”

“Yes.”

“But not all the pie, Cas?”

“No, not the pie. Never the pie, Dean.”

“Are there were any other prophecies about me?” Cas paused and seemed to choose his words carefully. His body language became totally angelic. Castiel seemed taller, more knowing when he was full of the Word.

“I, Castiel, prophecy this and swear it to be true. At the moment of your death you will be surrounded by your family.”

Dean looked around the empty room and a smile brightened his face. “Guess I'll live forever. They've all gone. Everyone left me behind years ago.”

The pain in Dean's chest was getting a bit heavier.

“Why aren't you using your angel mojo on me?”

“When Sam died, you made me promise not to. When it's my time for dying, let me be, you said. And don't bring me back either. What's dead should be dead.”

“I don't remember saying that. But it makes sense.” Dean paused to catch his breath. “Mom started it, you know. The deal making. To save Dad. And then Dad did it to save me. Then I did it to save Sammy. Enough IS enough. The Gravedigger's shovel stops here.”

Dean sat down in the recliner quickly as another spasm of pain spread across his chest and into his left arm.

“Do you remember how your life changed after Sam died?”

“”No, I don't remember. Tell me.”

“After Sam died, you went from loner Hunter to Trainer. Over the last 50 years you have trained 98 Hunters. 87 of them are still live and in turn saving others. You've made a hell of a difference in people's lives, Dean. That's not even counting the people saved by Sam's and your decisions at Stull Cemetery.”

Dean shivered violently. Shake followed shake until Dean thought his bones would break. Castiel walked to the pile of afghans crocheted by Amelia, Bobby Singer's second wife and chose the brightest colored one. Castiel placed the afghan tenderly around Dean.

One moment Dean smiled at Castiel as if to tease his favorite angel and the next moment he stopped breathing.

When Dean opened his eyes, Dean saw his mother, Mary Winchester, and his father, John standing in the room. Both radiated light and joy and comfort.

Sam appeared. “Took you long enough, jerk.” His brother literally glowed with happiness as well as his parents.

Dean turned his head as if to search for his constant companion for the last 55 years.

 _Castiel._

For the first time, Dean witnessed Castiel's true form in all it's literal glory; light, wings, halo and gleaming Angel Sword.

“Holy shit, Cas!! You're such a showoff.”

Dean laughed. His love and joy at being surrounded by his loved ones created a literal spark that jumped from Dean to Castiel adding more light to the already brightly lit Angel. Castiel's laughter created another spark which jumped to John, Mary and Sam.

All five coalesced into a large blinding ball of light and love. They vanished from the face of the Earth.


End file.
